Ok, so i really wanted a Jack compass after Dead Man's chest, wanted back with the first one but just never knew where to start. Ive seen the MR one and frankly, for the price, im not impressed and think I could do better myself. Quite a statement, but I want to give it a try anyway. So we've got 2 toys out there to choose from. The costume set toy accessory and the MegaBloks compass. I started with the accessory toy and then picked up the MegaBloks one to compare. Unfortunatly the sizes are slightly different.
Going by the MR measurements of about 3.5x3.5x2.5, ive compared that to these. The MegaBloks is 4x4...half and inch too BIG. The accessory toy is 3x3... a half and inch too SHORT all the way around. So i had to make a compromise, and considering the MegaBloks one didnt even have an inside, and the dome was a bit stubby, and it frankly just looked too damn big, I decided to go with the accessory toy, I can live with it being a half inch too small all around.
Now I didnt get any pictures of it before I started hacking away, but basically here is what I did to get it to the point you see here. I started by taking the whole thing apart, comes apart easily. Took out the dial, the inner gear stuff, etc. I chopped about a half inch off the bottom, it was definetly too tall. By cutting that down, you then need to cut down the ring around the top of the bottom section that comes off, down just as much, if not more, than what you cut off the bottom of the main piece so it still fits on.
Now, the "clasp" that was sculpted onto the thing isnt even close and needs to be completely removed. So take your dremel to it. I then went down to the local art store and got a $2 small wooden craft box that had a clasp on it. My luck the accurate one was a combination of two they had, so I had to get two clasps and combine the parts. I also had to cut the main clasp front in the corners to make it accurate. Ok, so now we've got a clasp. When the time comes it will be nailed in, not easy with plastic, but I might cheat that somehow later...
Next, the clasp needs a closing pin, so I drilled out a small hole in the front, cut off the end of a plastic paintbrush, and glued it in. Perfect.
And that's where I'm at right now. If you cant tell, I also scuffed the thing up big time on purpose. Dremeled a few corners of the white strips and sanded some scratches to give it the wooden texture, as this thing was perfectly smooth and pretty to start with. The next things I need to do are thicken up the walls on the top half, repaint the inside of the dome, put in the leather texture, then add some thin white strip pieces to the bottom (as the bottom ones are just painted, not raised) and then work on the inside.
I completely dremeled out the sundial as it really wasnt close at all. I may use the 3 corner pieces but then sculpt the middle over it. It will then be reinstalled slightly under the main body, not level with it, and then the compass dial under it, which was incredibly accurate for a toy, so I dont think ill change the graphic at all, maybe just dirty it up a bit. Then the back ring needs replacing. Anyway, updates as I go, have fun.
Going by the MR measurements of about 3.5x3.5x2.5, ive compared that to these. The MegaBloks is 4x4...half and inch too BIG. The accessory toy is 3x3... a half and inch too SHORT all the way around. So i had to make a compromise, and considering the MegaBloks one didnt even have an inside, and the dome was a bit stubby, and it frankly just looked too damn big, I decided to go with the accessory toy, I can live with it being a half inch too small all around.
Now I didnt get any pictures of it before I started hacking away, but basically here is what I did to get it to the point you see here. I started by taking the whole thing apart, comes apart easily. Took out the dial, the inner gear stuff, etc. I chopped about a half inch off the bottom, it was definetly too tall. By cutting that down, you then need to cut down the ring around the top of the bottom section that comes off, down just as much, if not more, than what you cut off the bottom of the main piece so it still fits on.
Now, the "clasp" that was sculpted onto the thing isnt even close and needs to be completely removed. So take your dremel to it. I then went down to the local art store and got a $2 small wooden craft box that had a clasp on it. My luck the accurate one was a combination of two they had, so I had to get two clasps and combine the parts. I also had to cut the main clasp front in the corners to make it accurate. Ok, so now we've got a clasp. When the time comes it will be nailed in, not easy with plastic, but I might cheat that somehow later...
Next, the clasp needs a closing pin, so I drilled out a small hole in the front, cut off the end of a plastic paintbrush, and glued it in. Perfect.
And that's where I'm at right now. If you cant tell, I also scuffed the thing up big time on purpose. Dremeled a few corners of the white strips and sanded some scratches to give it the wooden texture, as this thing was perfectly smooth and pretty to start with. The next things I need to do are thicken up the walls on the top half, repaint the inside of the dome, put in the leather texture, then add some thin white strip pieces to the bottom (as the bottom ones are just painted, not raised) and then work on the inside.
I completely dremeled out the sundial as it really wasnt close at all. I may use the 3 corner pieces but then sculpt the middle over it. It will then be reinstalled slightly under the main body, not level with it, and then the compass dial under it, which was incredibly accurate for a toy, so I dont think ill change the graphic at all, maybe just dirty it up a bit. Then the back ring needs replacing. Anyway, updates as I go, have fun.
